From drawings to the sky. Boeing F-15EX fighters for the Pentagon
In 2004, Boeing handed over the last of the ordered F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets to the U.S. Air Force, and the fleet has not been replenished since then. In recent years, measures have been taken to update the material part, and their result in the near future will be the appearance of new F-15 aircraft. The current military budget allows the Pentagon to acquire several fighter aircraft of the latest modification of the F-15EX.
Financing for modernization
For the first time, data on the Boeing F-15X project (later the F-15EX designation appeared) in its current form was published in mid-2018. The reason for the appearance of this development was the desire of the Air Force to update the existing fleet of tactical aircraft aviation. Existing F-15C / D Eagle fighters no longer meet current requirements and require replacement or deep modernization.
In response to a Pentagon request, Boeing developed and introduced a new upgrade option for an existing aircraft. The project with the letters X / EX was created on the basis of the recently developed F-15QA - modifications of the F-15E to the requirements of the Qatar Air Force. QA and X / EX aircraft differ from the basic F-15E by a set of on-board equipment, a range of weapons, etc.
In December 2018, the U.S. Air Force announced their plans for the new F-15EX. The draft military budget for fiscal year 2020 provided for the purchase of 12 such aircraft with a total value of $ 1,2 billion. Later revised plans. In the next version of the draft budget, only 15 billion was allocated for the F-1,1EX project - for the purchase of eight aircraft. This number included two prototypes and six units of the installation batch. Such plans appeared in March, and a few months later entered the approved version of the military budget.
According to updated plans, the Air Force wants to receive 144 new type aircraft. In parallel, construction of new machines and modernization of existing ones will be carried out. It is expected that the emergence of a significant amount of F-15EX will gradually phase out or radically upgrade the obsolete F-15C / D and thereby improve the overall condition of the fighter fleet.
Real steps
After not too long discussions and the formation of plans, the Pentagon begins to realize its intentions. On January 28, a couple of documents appeared on the US government procurement portal on the topic of acquiring new aircraft and components for them.
The first document outlines the Pentagon’s plans for the F-15EX. The Air Force intends to sign a new contract with Boeing to update its fleet. The contract belongs to the category ID / IQ and does not stipulate the exact number of equipment and the timing of its delivery. The main method for the release of new equipment will be the modernization of cash machines.
A similar document has also been published concerning the issues of power plants. The contract for the supply of engines is awarded to General Electric Aviation. For an indefinite time, it will have to supply a number of F110 turbojet engines, provided for by the F-15EX project.
It is noted that both contracts are prepared in full compliance with the law. The choice of a single supplier for each product is not a violation, and also fully ensures the fulfillment of customer requirements.
By February 7, Boeing and General Electric must give their answer to the proposals of the military department. After that, the necessary negotiations will take place, during which they will determine the terms of the future contract. Agreements on the supply of equipment and other works may appear before the end of the current financial year. In the same period, the necessary funding will be provided for by the current budget.
In fact, the Pentagon is launching preparations for the production of F-15EX aircraft. These measures are interesting for a number of reasons. First of all, because the next F-15 fighter modernization project comes to practical implementation. Another reason is the timing of the project and related contracts. The last F-15E was handed over to the US Air Force more than 15 years ago, and the newest contract of this kind was signed almost 20 years ago. Thus, the production and deep modernization of the equipment of the F-15 family will be resumed after a record long break.
Replacement aircraft
According to open data, the United States currently has a not-too-large fleet of F-15 fighters of all major modifications - almost 450 aircraft remain in service. Most of this equipment is listed in the Air Force. A notable number of aircraft belong to the National Guard.
The main operator of the F-15C / D / E are the US Air Force. In their parts there are 89 F-15C aircraft, a total of 6 F-15D units and 210 relative to the new F-15E. National Guard Aviation includes 123 single F-15Cs and 17 double F-15Ds. Newer F-15Es of the National Guard were not transmitted. Only the Air Force has equipment of this version - about 210 units.
The well-known plans of the Pentagon provide for the arming of 144 aircraft of the new modification F-15EX. Some of the required equipment will be built, and the remaining ones will be converted from existing fighters of old modifications. The exact number of aircraft planned for construction or alteration remains unknown.
Obsolete F-15C / D fighters will be the first to be replaced. The Air Force has less than a hundred such vehicles, no longer distinguished by high combat qualities. They will be replaced with new F-15EX or rebuilt according to a modern design, which will lead to understandable consequences. Also, a number of newer F-15E Strike Eagle will be sent for modernization - with the same results.
The plans for the National Guard Air Force have not yet been specified, but it can be assumed that this structure does not yet have to master the promising F-15EX. However, as is always the case, some planes of old modifications can pass it to her. Over time, the National Guard can even count on getting the modern F-15E.
In the early stages of the discussion of the F-15X / EX project, concerns were expressed about its possible impact on other procurements in favor of the Air Force. In particular, according to one version, for the acquisition of the F-15EX, the Pentagon would have to reduce spending on the purchase of F-35 aircraft. Recent reports clarify that such reductions are not planned. Purchases of two fighters will be carried out in parallel and without mutual influence.
In general, the Air Force does not yet plan to reduce the number of types of equipment in service. As a result, in the coming years, fighter aircraft will include a number of modifications of the F-15 aircraft, not the newest F-16s, as well as modern F-22s and F-35s. Outdated cars will be repaired and modernized, but they are not going to abandon them yet.
Deep upgrade
The development of the new Boeing F-15X / EX project was started due to the gradual obsolescence of existing equipment. The previous version of the fighter, the F-15E, was built until the mid-XNUMXs, but progress did not stand still. In this regard, in the new project, measures were taken to integrate modern equipment and improve combat qualities.
F-15EX differs from its predecessor by advanced monitoring and detection tools that provide all-round visibility in several spectra. Under the nose fairing is a modern radar with AFAR. Airborne assets can be used both for target detection and in conjunction with a defense complex. The cabin equipment has been radically updated, simplifying the work of the pilot.
New GE F110 engines maintain high flight performance while increasing payload. The latter has been increased from 10,4 to 13,4 tons. Universal AMBER arms holders with advanced capabilities have been introduced. Due to this, the F-15EX can carry up to 22 small-sized air-to-air missiles or up to 28 SDB bombs.
From drawings to service
It should be noted that at the moment all these advantages exist only on paper. Boeing has already completed the bulk of the design work and, until recently, was awaiting a formal customer request. The necessary document has appeared, and in the next few days a new stage of the program will be launched.
In the near future, the Pentagon and Boeing will negotiate and determine the terms of work for the F-15EX. Then, two experimental aircraft will be built and tested, followed by a small installation lot. And only after that (probably in a few years) will the Air Force be able to order full-scale serial production or modernization of available equipment. Thus, the latest F-15EX project aims to bring significant benefits to the US Air Force. But this will not happen too soon.
- Ryabov Kirill
- Boeing Company / boeing.com
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